. 
Burrowing Owl 211 
In Colorado the Snowy Owl is a rare winter visitor, more abundant 
in severe winters. It has been, chiefly taken in the north-east of the 
State near Fort Collins, Greeley, Loveland, Barr and Denver, whence 
it has been reported by Cooke and Smith. Further south and in the 
mountains it is only a straggler; but it has been recorded from 
Colorado Springs by Aiken, from Wet Mountain Valley by Baker, 
and from Breckrenridge by Carter. 
Genus SPEOTYTO. 
Medium-sized Owls—wing 6 to 8—with « quite incomplete facial 
disk and no ear-tufts ; ear-openings small and normal; cere somewhat 
swollen; wing moderate, slightly rounded ; tail short, less than half 
the wing ; legs long and slim, tarsus twice the length of the middle toe 
without claw, scantily feathered in front, bare behind; lower portion 
and toes with a few bristles. 
This genus is confined to America ; there is only one species found in 
the United States. 
Burrowing Owl. Speotyto cunicularia hypogea. 
A.O.U. Checklist no 378—Colorado Records—Say 23, vol. ii., pp. 36, 
200; Allen 72, p. 151; Coues 74, p. 322; Allen & Brewster 83, p. 197 ; 
Drew 85, p. 17; Beckham 85, p. 143; Morrison, 89, p. 67; Bendire 92, 
p. 395; Cooke 97, pp. 18, 81, 206; Dille 03, p. 74; Henderson 03, 
p. 235; 09, p. 230; Warren 06, p. 20; 08, p. 21; 09, p. 14; Gilman 
07, p. 154; Markman 07, p. 156; Hersey & Rockwell 09, p. 118. 
Description. Adult—Dull brown above, spotted finely on the head, 
more largely on the back, with white or tawny-whitish ; on the wing- 
quills and tail the spots tend to form cross-bars, generally broken in 
the centre on the shafts; below white, the throat and fore-breast 
immaculate, separated by a brown, band, posteriorly with a series of 
brown, transverse spots, almost forming bars; thighs and under tail- 
coverts plain ; iris yellow, bill greenish-yellow, cere and claws blackish. 
Length 9-5; wing 7-25; tail3-5; culmen -6; tarsus 1-85. 
The sexes are alike. Young birds are plain brown above, but with 
much white on the wings; below with white chin, brown, collar, and 
isabelline white and immaculate posterior parts. 
Distribution. Western North America, breeding from southern 
British Columbia, Assinaboia, and Minnesota south to northern Texas, 
Mexico and Guatemala. 
In Colorado the Burrowing Owl is most common on the eastern plains, 
wherever there are prairie-dog towns. It is also found in the moun- 
tains up to about 8,000 feet, while Cooke states it occasionally reaches 
10,000 feet; but I have not found anyreference to it higher than Middle 
Park, where Carter obtained it. There is also some doubt as to whether 
P2 
